The Best Flights to Mexico

To get to Holbox Island or anywhere else on the Yucatán Peninsula, you must first fly to Mexico. The best flights from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. land in Cancun or alternatively Mexico City. Since the opening of the new airport there are also flights to Tulum.

Travel requirements to Mexico

To enter Mexico as a tourist, a passport valid for at least 6 months is generally required. A visa is not needed for stays of up to 180 days, and also a tourist card (FMM) is no longer issued. These immigration regulations apply to citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and all European Schengen countries.

Flight time to Mexico and cost of airfare

Depending on where you are flying from and the number of stopovers, you can plan on a flight time to Mexico of 2-6 hours from the U.S., 4-8 hours from Canada, and 11-18 hours from the U.K. and Europe. Direct flights to Cancun are the fastest and most convenient. The number of flights offered by most airlines is seasonal and varies according to their schedules.

The cost of a flight varies greatly depending on the day of the week, season, availability, how far in advance you book and, of course, the booking class. If you fly from the USA to Mexico, you can expect a ticket price depending on your departure point starting from 200-600 USD, 300-500 CAD from Canada, 500-700 GBP from the UK and 800-1200 EUR from Europe.

The ideal flight to Mexico

The best flights to Mexico arrive in Cancun no later than mid-afternoon or early evening, no matter where you are coming from. This gives you plenty of time to get to your destination.

If you want to go to Holbox and arrive after 6 p.m., it is better to spend the night in Cancun, as you will not make it to Chiquilá in time to catch the ferry to Holbox.

At least there are some cheap hotels in the center of Cancún, from where you have a good starting position for the next day’s trip. The city itself does not have much to offer, so a longer stay is not worthwhile. Unless you use your stay for a day trip from Cancún to Isla Mujeres or Chichén Itzá.

Flights to Mexico City are more suitable in combination with a city tour or a trip to other places in Mexico. The flight to Tulum is especially useful if you want to spend a few days there.

Entry to Mexico

Upon landing in Cancún, your immigration documents will be checked, which can take up to 1 hour, depending on the number of arriving planes.

At one of the counters you will receive an entry stamp in your passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months. It is no longer necessary to fill out entry forms and the tourist card (FMM) is no longer required.

You will then proceed to the baggage claim carousels. There may be a longer wait here as well. Once you have collected your baggage, you will need to go through customs. Then you can continue your transfer to Holbox.

Tip: In a best-case scenario, the total time from landing to leaving the airport may be only a few minutes if you are traveling with only carry-on baggage. At peak times and with checked baggage, it can take up to 1-2 hours. You should take this into account when planning your onward journey.

Search, find and book the best flights

The smartest way to find flights to Mexico is to use Google Flights and the airlines themselves. Skyscanner, Kayak, and Momondo often find the cheapest flights because these search engines can search many online deals simultaneously.

Tip: Time flexibility pays off! Flights on weekends and during major holiday periods are usually expensive. It is much cheaper to fly during the week and outside the main vacation periods. This can make a difference of several hundred dollars or pounds.

Flights to Mexico from USA

There are many direct flights from major U.S. airports to Cancun, Tulum and Mexico City, often several times a day. The fastest flight to Cancun is from Miami, Houston or Atlanta, which takes about 2-2.5 hours, and the longest from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, which takes about 5-6 hours. From Dallas, Chicago and New York it is 3-4 hours. Prices start from 200 USD for a roundtrip flight from Miami and 600 USD from Seattle.

Flights from the U.S. to Mexico City are slightly shorter or longer depending on where you are flying from. The flight time from the west of the country can be up to 1.5 hours shorter, while from the east it can take up to 1.5 hours longer. Although many Mexican airlines fly to the capital of México, ticket prices are very similar to those to Cancun and Tulum.

Here you can find some examples of direct flights from major U.S. airports to Cancun.

Flights from Canada to Mexico

The largest airports in Canada with direct flights to Cancún are in Toronto and Montréal in the east, Winnipeg in the middle and Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton in the west. All other departure points in Canada require at least one stopover. Flight times are 4.5 to 5 hours from eastern Canada and 5 to 6 hours from the west. If there is a flight connection on Flair Airlines, they usually offer the cheapest flights starting at 300-500 CAD.

Non-stop flights to Mexico City and Tulum are only available from Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver and are operated by Air Canada or Aeromexico. However, these flights are significantly more expensive than flights to Cancún.

For example, here are some good flight options flights from Canada to Cancún.

Mexico flights from UK

Most direct flights depart from London Gatwick Airport and are operated by British Airways and TUI Airways. The latter also offers weekly direct flights from Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester, but at slightly higher prices. A direct flight from the UK to Cancun takes approximately 10 to 10.5 hours. Alternatively, there are one-stop flights via Madrid, USA or Canada with a total flight time of 14-16 hours. Flying back to the UK will take an hour less. Prices vary depending on the date and start from 500 GBP.

Here are some examples of flights from the UK to Cancun.

Flights from Europe to Mexico

Depending on your point of departure in Europe and the number of stopovers, the flight to Mexico takes 12-18 hours. Direct flights from Germany to Cancún are available from Frankfurt with Condor or Discover Airlines and from Zurich in Switzerland with Edelweiss Air. Other direct flights from Europe are available from Paris, Madrid and in winter from Vienna and Amsterdam. Flight schedules vary according to season and airline schedules.

One-way airfares to Mexico start from 300 EUR for budget flights with one or two transfers and 400 EUR for comfortable direct flights. Depending on the day of the week, season and availability, prices can be significantly higher. Depending on the number of stopovers and the exact date, you can expect to pay between 800 and 1200 EUR or more for a round trip flight to Cancún.

Flights with a stopover in the USA or Canada are usually slightly cheaper. In both cases you will need a travel permit, even if you are only changing planes at the airport. This document is called ESTA for the USA and eTA for Canada. Apart from the extra hassle and cost, flights take longer because of immigration formalities. While the stopover in Canada is relatively quick and relaxed, if you change planes in the USA, your baggage has to be collected and checked in again, which requires a longer connecting time.

Here are some examples of direct flights from major airports in Europe.

Domestic Flights to Cancun from Mexico City

If you want to go to Mexico City first and then travel to Holbox, there are many cheap domestic flights to Cancun throughout the day that can be easily booked online. However, you should take a few days to visit the place as it is huge and there is an incredible amount of things to do in Mexico City.

The flight time from Mexico City to Cancun is about 2.5 hours and a one-way ticket costs 50-90 USD / 70-130 CAD / 40-75 GBP / 55-80 EUR, depending on the departure time and airline. The cheapest flights are with VivaAerobus and Volaris, but don’t expect too much comfort. Flying with Aeromexico is a bit more expensive, but also more comfortable.

The Further Journey to Holbox Island

Once you arrive in Cancún, the next step is to travel to Chiquilá, for which there are several options to choose from. Alternatively, you can fly directly from Cancun to Holbox Island. Here you will find detailed information on both options:

Return Flight from Mexico

Of course, the cheapest option is to book your return flight with your outbound flight. On most direct flights, the plane flies directly back to Cancún after landing and refueling. Therefore, these flights usually depart in the afternoon or at night. By the way, the return flight to the east, or across the Atlantic Ocean, is 1-2 hours shorter in that direction.

FAQ

Find answers to frequently asked questions about flights to Mexico: